Two AP Ministers reach Dehradun to help pilgrims

Government to hire helicopter to airlift stranded pilgrims

Andhra Pradesh Government is planning to hire a helicopter to airlift stranded Char Dham yatra pilgrims from rain-hit Uttarakhand.

Union Minister of State for Social Justice P. Balaram Naik, State Ministers – Danam Nagender and D. Sridhar Babu reached Dehradun on Saturday noon and interacted with the AP pilgrims. Three helpdesks have been set up by the State government to assist the victims being brought from the far-flung areas.

The Minister faced a piquant situation in Dehradun when the Uttarakhand administration was unable to provide any information about the missing persons. Adding to their embarrassment, they were denied permission to undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas.

Talking to The Hindu from Dehradun, Mr. Nagender said: “We spoke to Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and urged him to make arrangements to hire a helicopter to shift the pilgrims to relief centres in Dehradun and Rishikesh. Several women are waiting to be shifted to New Delhi,” he said.

He said the Uttarakhand administration was giving first priority to rescuing people stranded in the mountainous terrain but not to search for missing persons. The Indian Army had shifted women to Dehradun for onward journey to New Delhi. Mr. Nagender said they had visited a hospital in Dehradun where 15 pilgrims, mostly from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, were admitted for treatment.

“They had trekked for three days without food and water. They are totally exhausted and need medical aid,” he added.

Mr. Sridhar Babu said they spoke to a group of 50 women at the TTD Kalyana mandapam in Rishikesh. “They were airlifted from the upper reaches but their husbands were left behind. Most of them are waiting for their spouses and other male family members. We will shift them to New Delhi once their family members arrive”.

Earlier in the day, the Ministers interacted with about 300 pilgrims who reached the AP Bhavan in New Delhi. They were put on extra-coaches attached to Hyderabad bound trains on Saturday morning.

" The Ministers were in a helpless situation as they were denied permission to undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas." Good that they were denied permission. They should focus on rescue and relief operations, with the resources they have and co ordinate with the local officials.

from:
Razak

Posted on: Jun 22, 2013 at 17:44 IST

A national calamity has no caste, religion, creed or regional barrier. Thinking of AP govt. to hire rescue services for AP pilgrims is hardly convincing. Rescue operations, health care, food and shelter should be at national level supported by Centre and all States jointly. Bringing the pilgrims from place of safety (i.e., they are rescued) to respective states with the help of railways or road transport, providing subsequent health care etc. could be done by State governments.

The whole idea of state government is bereft of nationalism and smacks of rampant regionalism. Will TRS demand a separate rescue services for Telangana pilgrims? It is time we rise above these narrow considerations. Rescuing cricketer Harbhajan Singh et. al. on war footing can hardly be called a national disaster response.

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Workers carryingout repairs to Visakhapatnam District Collector's Office, as it was damaged in Cyclone Hudhud in 2014 October. The majestic heritage building was designed and built by Dutch engineering company Gannon Dunkerly in 1865 and completed by 1914. Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam